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Authors: Matt Christopher
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sideline.
“
Out!
” called the line judge. As he moved to the right side of the baseline, Steve blamed the break in play for messing up his
concentration, not the scratch on his leg.
Tony missed on his first serve, hitting it into the net, and then hit a cautious second serve. Steve moved in and returned
the ball straight down the line to Tony’s backhand. Tony had to lunge for it. He put the ball right where Steve could smash
a hard forehand down the line. Tony had to race to get the ball again, but he did manage to reach it.
Tony’s return touched the tape on top of the net but bounced over. Steve had been running to make a backhand return, but the
bounce off the tape gave the ball a crazy spin that sent it right to his knees. He put on the brakes and felt a stab of pain
in the injured leg. Distracted, he failed to return the ball. Now he trailed, love—thirty.
Tony hit a beautiful topspin serve that Steve couldn’t return. The ace brought the score to forty—love in Tony’s favor. Steve
managed to get one point, but Tony won the game, tying the set at four—four.
The crowd was now really into the match, yelling and cheering on every point, shouting encouragement to whichever boy they
favored.
Steve found that his leg made a difference in his serve; he couldn’t extend himself upward the way he usually did. On the
first serve in the new game, he hit one into the net. On second service, he got it over but without much power, and Tony hit
a slicing backhand return for a winner. Steve could imagine concern on his father’s face in the stands.
He raised himself up on his toes a couple of times before the next serve. This time he hit it better — a hard shot to Tony’s
backhand. He was able to take control again. He moved Tony around, preventing the other player from setting himself and hitting
his favorite shots. He won the next two points to lead, thirty—fifteen. Two more points and the game would be his.
With Tony edging over toward his backhand side,Steve crossed him up by hitting it to his forehand. While Tony returned the ball, the shot didn’t have much steam on it. Steve
charged the net, hitting a volley past the diving Tony for a winner. Tony didn’t get up for a moment. He was winded.
Steve wanted to end this game quickly and tried to freeze Tony by hitting the serve straight at him. But this time, Tony slid
to his left and hit a hot cross-court forehand return. Steve went for it and hit it down the line. Tony got set for his two-handed
backhand and sent it back to Steve’s backhand side, running toward the net as he did.
Steve tried to pass Tony on Tony’s left, but the other boy’s reflexes were still sharp. He blocked the ball, sending it almost
straight down on Steve’s side of the net. Luckily, the ball took a high enough bounce for Steve to get to it. He tried once
again to pass Tony. For a moment the boys faced each other from only a few yards away, both taking advantage of their quickness
to make returns.
Then Steve hit a lob over Tony’s head that Tony couldn’t reach. Steve had won the game and led, five games to four. If Steve
could break Tony’s serve now, the match was his.
Tony was as much aware of this fact as Steve. He found some reserve energy somewhere, enough for him to take the game with
the help of a couple of nice topspins.
That was probably Tony’s best weapon, thought Steve, trying to loosen his leg a little. The scrape was becoming more and more
of a problem to deal with.
The two players split the next two games, making the score six games apiece and setting up a tiebreaker to determine who would
win the final match. Steve would serve the first point.
There was a brief break and the boys went to the side of the court. Steve decided to stay standing and flex his leg to make
sure it didn’t tighten up on him. Tony sat, breathing deeply and looking straight ahead. Then they took their places, to enthusiastic
“
Out!
” called the line judge. As he moved to the right side of the baseline, Steve blamed the break in play for messing up his
concentration, not the scratch on his leg.
Tony missed on his first serve, hitting it into the net, and then hit a cautious second serve. Steve moved in and returned
the ball straight down the line to Tony’s backhand. Tony had to lunge for it. He put the ball right where Steve could smash
a hard forehand down the line. Tony had to race to get the ball again, but he did manage to reach it.
Tony’s return touched the tape on top of the net but bounced over. Steve had been running to make a backhand return, but the
bounce off the tape gave the ball a crazy spin that sent it right to his knees. He put on the brakes and felt a stab of pain
in the injured leg. Distracted, he failed to return the ball. Now he trailed, love—thirty.
Tony hit a beautiful topspin serve that Steve couldn’t return. The ace brought the score to forty—love in Tony’s favor. Steve
managed to get one point, but Tony won the game, tying the set at four—four.
The crowd was now really into the match, yelling and cheering on every point, shouting encouragement to whichever boy they
favored.
Steve found that his leg made a difference in his serve; he couldn’t extend himself upward the way he usually did. On the
first serve in the new game, he hit one into the net. On second service, he got it over but without much power, and Tony hit
a slicing backhand return for a winner. Steve could imagine concern on his father’s face in the stands.
He raised himself up on his toes a couple of times before the next serve. This time he hit it better — a hard shot to Tony’s
backhand. He was able to take control again. He moved Tony around, preventing the other player from setting himself and hitting
his favorite shots. He won the next two points to lead, thirty—fifteen. Two more points and the game would be his.
With Tony edging over toward his backhand side,Steve crossed him up by hitting it to his forehand. While Tony returned the ball, the shot didn’t have much steam on it. Steve
charged the net, hitting a volley past the diving Tony for a winner. Tony didn’t get up for a moment. He was winded.
Steve wanted to end this game quickly and tried to freeze Tony by hitting the serve straight at him. But this time, Tony slid
to his left and hit a hot cross-court forehand return. Steve went for it and hit it down the line. Tony got set for his two-handed
backhand and sent it back to Steve’s backhand side, running toward the net as he did.
Steve tried to pass Tony on Tony’s left, but the other boy’s reflexes were still sharp. He blocked the ball, sending it almost
straight down on Steve’s side of the net. Luckily, the ball took a high enough bounce for Steve to get to it. He tried once
again to pass Tony. For a moment the boys faced each other from only a few yards away, both taking advantage of their quickness
to make returns.
Then Steve hit a lob over Tony’s head that Tony couldn’t reach. Steve had won the game and led, five games to four. If Steve
could break Tony’s serve now, the match was his.
Tony was as much aware of this fact as Steve. He found some reserve energy somewhere, enough for him to take the game with
the help of a couple of nice topspins.
That was probably Tony’s best weapon, thought Steve, trying to loosen his leg a little. The scrape was becoming more and more
of a problem to deal with.
The two players split the next two games, making the score six games apiece and setting up a tiebreaker to determine who would
win the final match. Steve would serve the first point.
There was a brief break and the boys went to the side of the court. Steve decided to stay standing and flex his leg to make
sure it didn’t tighten up on him. Tony sat, breathing deeply and looking straight ahead. Then they took their places, to enthusiastic
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